🎥 Review: Because They’re Young (1960)

Suddenly Kids grow up! Only yesterday they were red-hot athletes and hot dates...today they're gripped by grownup desires!

As you might have guessed, I love B-movie high school and teen angst flicks from the fifties and sixties. With Dick Clark making his dramatic film debut and Bobby Rydell’s "Swingin' School" playing during the opening, plus performances by Duane Eddy and James Darren, Because They’re Young (1960) is a film I couldn’t resist.

The film is not as widely recognized or discussed as the more prominent teen classics of its era, such as Blackboard Jungle (1955) and Rebel Without a Cause (1955), largely due to its lack of the rebellious spirit and emotional weight that those films possess. It also falls short of the exhilarating entertainment in my earlier review of High School Confidential! (1958). Still, Because They’re Young is pretty good. Directed by Paul Wendkos (Gidget), this 1960 adaptation of the controversial novel "Harrison High" centers on an idealistic young high school teacher facing the challenges of over-sexed and troubled teens.

Once a star college football player, Neil Hendry (Dick Clark) had his promising career cut short by a tragic car accident that took the lives of his brother and sister-in-law. Now, he's started a new chapter as a hopeful teacher at Harrison High, accompanied by his young nephew Eric (Stephen Talbot).

Sadly, Eric's parents also perished in the same accident while on their way to support Neil on the field. Feeling guilty about their deaths, Neil tried to live up to his brother's legacy as an outstanding mentor who cared deeply for his students. Despite his best intentions, Neil faced criticism as a student teacher for getting too close to his students, leading to a court decision granting him only temporary custody of Eric.

Neil and Principal Mr. Donlan's secretary Joan Dietrich (Victoria Shaw) become fast friends. They start to feel a connection towards each other, but Joan is cautious about moving too quickly. Her previous relationship with an idealistic teacher who was tragically killed has left her hesitant to dive into something new. She advises Neil to be more mindful of following Principal Donlan's rules and to not give too much of himself to his students. Joan opens up to Neil about her past love, a teacher similar to him who met a tragic fate at the hands of a student.

Now onto the students. We have Ann Gregor (Tuesday Weld). Last summer's sexual misstep with Griff Rimer, a former student from Conway High who has a history of juvenile delinquency, has negatively impacted her reputation. She also wants to become an actress and move away from her shrill bedridden mother. Tuesday won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960. And established a long career playing dramatic roles. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1978).

Ann's new beau is Buddy McCalla (Warren Berlinger) a shy new kid and a promising football player. But home life is difficult with an absent father and a promiscuous alcoholic Mom. You'll recognize Berlinger as the "tough-as-nails" United States Army recruiter Sergeant Betchler in TV's Happy Days.

Then there's the sweetheart couple Jim (Doug McClure) and Roberta Shore (Ricky Summers). Both starred in NBC's The Virginian. Their love prompts both sets of parents to advise them to not rush into having premarital sex.

I felt that Dick Clark did a decent job but he was essentially playing himself—so charming and friendly, with that shiny, immovable hair. “Look, we don’t love people because they’re perfect. If we did, you’d soon find out there’s nobody to love at all.” He’s the go-to guy for helping others and handling his students like a psychiatrist or social worker. But when his history comes up, he gets defensive and a bit angry. So when a scene required him to show a more negative side, his acting fell a bit short. The romance between him and Joan didn’t quite spark either.

The real magic lies in the interactions between the teens. The scenes with Griff and Ann especially. I found it effective that we only hear Ann's mom without seeing her, which directs our attention entirely to Ann's feelings of frustration. And the unsettling and inappropriate dealings with Chris the Butcher (Rudy Bond) that tempt Griff into a risky armed robbery scheme.

I loved the fantastic opening instrumental by Duane Eddy which became one of the rare all-instrumental hits of the era, going to #4 on the American charts in the summer of 1960. He even performs another song "Shazam!" at the school dance, while James Darren (who recently passed away) sings a slow-down ballad version of the title track.

The campus and classroom shots were filmed at Hoover High School in Glendale, California. With a film noir aesthetic, the third act is filled with excitement, as first film score composer John Williams enhances the tension using conga drum sounds.

According to Dick Clark filming it was "an extraordinary experience. Columbia really laid it on; they rented a house in Bel-Air owned by Mercedes McCambridge, provided a maid, a butler and a chauffeur, and gave me a hundred dollars a day in expenses."

He also added, "Most pictures about teenagers are wrong. They are older people's concepts of how teenagers act... I doubt if there ever can be a truly honest portrayal in films. Not all girls are beautiful and all boys are handsome, as they are in films... [But] the script is fairly true to life. Most teenagers are normal."

World Premiere of “Because They’re Young” at the Paramount Theatre in Phoenix and ABC-Paramount calls in American Bandstand’s Dick Clark to lead the band and host the evening in 1960.

All in all, I found the film to be a noteworthy entry in the teacher-student genre, offering a compelling narrative that resonated with me. On my B-Movie-o meter, it scores a solid B.

"This is a topical picture. Not a typical picture. Because they're young. Or are they?...."

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